Virginia Beach Family Visit

Love visiting my brother and his family and wish our visits weren't so spaced apart. Even though it was unseasonably cold at the beach, we were still thrilled to spend time with family.

Where's Waldo? Having fun at Cloud 9!

Cousins

Wish these visits lasted longer!

Happy Valentine's Day

Learning to Knit

Rather than engage in "resolutions", we decided to challenge ourselves with learning one new thing every month and to tackle it together. For the month of January, we learned to knit.

We signed up for Knitting 101 at Birds of a Feather and had the most kind, patient teacher, Steven. He managed to teach all three of us, help us through our mistakes, and encouraged us to enjoy this new skill. 

So much fun!

Wade Oval Wednesday

Us girls tried our first Wade Oval Wednesday as part of our Summer Bucket List and had so much fun!

We enjoyed dinner on the lawn while sitting on our picnic blanket.  Listened to some fun music and did a lot of people watching.

Thank you, CLE, for another fun outdoor activity!

Checked off #2!

Oh Henry! And Candlemaking

Bridget and I met Megan in Columbus for a little "girls" time.  We try not to go more than two weeks without seeing each other while Meg's away at school.  We're a pretty tight knit group, you could say.  We decided to do dinner in the short north and wander in and out of their shops during their Gallery Hop weekend.  Bridget came across this little dog who was set on licking off all her leftover butter (from her buttered pasta).  I can still hear her giggling! We had a great dinner, enjoyed all the shops, and stumbled into this great little candlemaking shop.  We even got to make our candles with the owner, who is simply fantastic!

At the Candle Lab, you first spend time smelling all the different scents they offer.  I think there were over 40! You then narrow your favorites down to about 3-5 and the staff help you mix your own scent.  You even get to create your own label! We all left with our own concoctions and they smell quite good (shocking, right?).

Showing Cleveland to Our Friends

Meg's friends from college stayed with us a weekend or two ago and we had the wonderful opportunity to show them around our great city.  We enjoyed an afternoon at the Cleveland Museum of Art (including B), a trip to Little Italy to enjoy pastries at Presti's, and dinner at El Carnicero to introduce them to the best guacamole and salsa verde.

Can you guess which one is B? Love those masks!

Such a fun day to spend with these girls!

Christmas 2013 Interview with My Girls

Christmas Interview 2013

What do you like about being a kid?

Megan:  Sadly, at 20 I need to act like an adult!
Bridget:  I like seeing my friends every day at school.

 

If you could go anywhere this year, where would you go?

Megan:  Hopefully, Prague in fall 2014.

Bridget:  Disneyworld and Hawaii.

 

What one word best describes you now?

Megan:  Hot mess in a pretty dress.
Bridget:  Happy and nice.

 

What is your favorite thing about your sister?

Megan:  Her sense of humor, she surprises me every time I go home about how smart and fun she is.

Bridget:  Fun, nice and awesome. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Megan:  First, I want to finish college.
Bridget:  Vet.

 

What makes you happy?

Megan:  family, dogs, friends, Costco.
Bridget:  family, friends, sister, dogs

 

For Bridget, now that you’re a first grader, what advice would you give to someone new in Kindergarten?

Don't worry, you're going to have fun!

 

For Meg, now that you’re in your second year of college, what lesson did you learn as a freshman?

To study and that you won't miss out on friend time.

 

What is playing on your ipod or iphone?

Megan:  Bastielle, Lourde, Tupac, and Biggie.
Bridget:  Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Teen Beach Movie Cruisin' for a Bruisin.

Columbus Half Marathon

I'm not sure it could have been ANY colder at the starting line.  It was 36 degrees with brutally cold wind (and that comes from a CLE girl). Brrr...

Greg dropped me off around 6:30am. The race had strict rules that all athletes had to be in their corrals by 7:00am for the 7:30am race start.  I wandered my way along Broad until reaching High to drop off my jacket in the clear bag.  I've never wanted to hold on to a possession like I did my jacket! I paced for a good 10 minutes before finally succumbing to the line and handing my warm Northface jacket over to the kind volunteer.  Thank goodness my gloves and I would not be parting.

7:30am came and went.  I was in Corral C, but there was no movement.  Usually in large races it takes about 5-10 minutes before movement occurs.  Sometimes as much as 20 minutes (Kentucky Derby 1/2, Marine Corp Marathon).  I heard fireworks but couldn't see anything around the buildings.  Come on, folks, let's get this thing started!

7:45am and still no movement.  Finally at 7:55am my group started moving a few steps forward.  It wasn't until 8:00am that we were fully released into the streets of Columbus.  By this time, I had spent a half hour fidgeting and jumping around to stay warm (a relative term).  Would I have the energy to do well or did I just expend all I had?

The first two miles were miserable.  Walkers 3-4 wide blocked many stretches. It was tough finding my stride between feeling arthritic from the cold and scooting between runners to find an open space.

Miles 3-6 were nice taking us past the Governor's Mansion and some breathtaking homes in Bexley, before spending some time on Capital University's campus.  Eventually we were back on Broad Street (pretty boring stretch).  It was around mile 8 that I had an "uh-oh" moment.  Now where were those port-o-potties? I saw them EVERYWHERE when I didn't need to go.  Then they were nonexistent.  Damn...this is going to be awkward and a serious change to my running stride! Finally, I found one between mile 8-9 and spent a quality 3-4 minutes.  Prior to finding the port-o-pottie, I was worried I would spontaneously combust.  When I was inside one, nothing...it took what felt like forever to do my business.  But when I was done, I had a little sprite in my step and knew I would finish. 

German Village has always been one of my favorite places.  Meg and I spent many Saturday nights at Cup-O-Joe's and the bookstore next door wandering room to room before finding just the right kids book.  Finally, we were back to High Street for our final 2-mile stretch.  Now how did that incline get here? High Street always seemed flat to me until I was having to run it.  Oh dear...my shoe is untied.  Great.  Better stop since I have the coordination and lightfootedness of an elephant. 

Is that the corner? Can we really be at Nationwide Arena? Oh, thank goodness.  And just like that, another half marathon was completed!

Me and my girls post-race.  Look at that medal - it's a weapon!

Day of Reading and Racing

Memorial Day was awesome in this house.  B and I started our day out with a nice 5k race at the St. Joseph Academy Jaguars 5k.  While there was no "official" stroller division, the kind volunteers at each intersection announced to B and I that we were the first stroller in the race.  Talk about pressure.  As I rounded the corner in the last half mile of the race, I spied a double stroller gaining on me.  Let me tell you, after pushing my 50 pound daughter for 25+ minutes, I was in no condition to sprint.  However, I am also one who enjoys a little friendly competition so sprint I must! I crossed the finish line only seconds in front of the dad pushing a double - but a win is a win in my book! Best of all, B got her Malley's chocolate bar (a race sponsor) and I got my uhmm water bottle. Gotta love small races and this one might have to be a new Memorial Day tradition!

Later in the day, we squeezed in a movie (Epic) and waited for Greg (who saw Fast & Furious 6) back at Barnes & Noble.  Love this pic of my girls sitting peacefully reading books.  It was one of those rare moments where everyone was quiet and I got to enjoy a magazine!

24 Days of Christmas - Week Two

The girls have enjoyed FaceTime and Skype as they open each other's gifts. We've had to improvise, but it's still been good family fun!

Day 7 - Family Pizza and Movie Night
Day 8 - 8 mini Reese cups for day 8
Day 9 - Color a wooden ornament
Day 10 - Write a letter to Santa
Day 11 - Donate toy and book at Church toy drive
Day 12 - Reese pieces candy cane (to be used as a microphone) so the girls could interview each other.
Day 13 - holiday sparkle headbands (from the dollar store)

And on Day 14, I got to bring Megan home from Miami!

Princess Tea with My Littlest Princess

Wednesday was a super special day. Bridget had invited Megan and me to her preschool Princess Tea. This was her last week of preschool and they put on such a nice affair. Each of the "princesses" were introduced one at a time, came in to the room like fashion models, then joined their moms and sisters for tea. Bridget made name plates for both Queen Meg and Queen Robin, complete with flowers, hearts and jewels. Such great fun! And it was a wonderful way to spend our last day with Megan before she headed off to college!

Two More Items Checked Off the Summer Bucket List

Before my oldest headed off to college, we managed to check off two more family fun items from her Summer Bucket List - watching the sun set and sparkler party.

Picnic at Huntington Beach enjoying takeout from Sweet Melissa's. We figured that Huntington Beach would have great sunset views! Plus, who doesn't love a picnic?!

Amazing views of the sunset. Best of all, we enjoyed this awesome view while sitting on a small blanket and enjoying Mitchell's ice cream!

Sparklers really do make you feel like a kid!

Locks of Love

Megan had donated her hair at the Relay for Life event her freshman year. I thought that was such a wonderful thing that she did and figured, "Why not try that myself." It took a bit longer to grow enough length, but the long hair coupled with the recent hot temps expedited my decision.

Funny story about this: Bridget was devastated at first. She thought, when I first mentioned donating my hair, that I would look like Greg. She cried and panicked and told me repeatedly not to do it - that I would look weird! So I managed to convince her that I would not look weird, that I would still have hair, and it would be great if she held my hand while the stylist cut my hair. I originally planned on donating at this year's Relay for Life event, but they didn't offer the hair donation service this year - bummer. So we made a date Tuesday night with the salon and wow, what relief! I feel like a new person and lighter to boot! And yes, she held my hand and, best of all, she said I didn't look weird. The end.

Pretty Good Week, and You?

Not a bad week for fitness here at the casa. Managed to sneak in two lunchtime runs as well as a longish run on Sunday, banking 12 miles for the week. Biked around the block with my girls and even met up with one of Bridget's friends and her mother on our ride. Enjoyed a yoga class Saturday afternoon with Megan, and learned that I have let my core go to hell. Holding a plank nearly killed me. And my down dog? Geesh, heels no where near the floor. Got lots of work to do! But five days of activity makes me one happy girl!

And we're getting back to eating cleaner here. Meg and I are trying to limit our "processed" foods and up our fruits and veggies. We've even decided to adopt the Meatless Mondays movement. Got some great ideas and I think we're leaning toward a nice frittata with fresh fruit this Monday. Mmmm - sounds good!

Enjoy the week!

30 Days of Biking: Final Week

Three chilly rides this week. With the warmer weather right around the corner, I think we'll be out enjoying the evenings by bike more often.

This may be one of the sweetest pictures I've taken of my girls. We decided to ride our bikes to the library and I was trailing behind them. Bridget's getting very confident in her riding skills, but I still like Meg to take the lead, then I protect from the rear. I was listening to their conversation - Bridget was asking Megan if, when Megan went away to college, they could Facetime every day because she was going to miss her. Awww - I was seriously holding back tears from that conversation.

It was Saturday night, we had just gotten back from dinner (think full belly here), and Bridget reminded me that we hadn't gone for our bike ride yet. Are you kidding me?! I started this thing, so I had an obligation to see it through. Off we went for a ride around the block. As you can see from her hat, it was chilly!

I didn't snap a picture, but Meg rode alongside me while I ran 6-miles on Sunday. So Meg gets credit for Sunday's ride during this wonderful 30 Days of Biking.

Challenge completed!

Total miles this week: 9 miles

Total April cycling miles: 51.5 miles

30 Days of Biking: Week 3

This 30 days of Biking thing is still fun and exciting, but 30 days in cold Cleveland with work commitments, dinner to fix, and night falling within 2 hours of me getting home has made biking EVERY day not exactly easy. But we're still hanging in there!

Late night, 6-mile ride just as dusk was falling. It was such a cool picture to take of the traffic lights and overhead road lights.

I kind of cheated on Day 18 by taking a quick spin around the block after fixing dinner. I was too tired to take a long ride and knew it would be dark soon, so I hopped on the bike while Meg took this picture as proof. I'm wearing my new Terry Cycling dress that I bought as part of their Terry Mondays special. Love the comfort of the dress!

Day 20 was probably my favorite long ride so far - although, I only biked 9 miles. I took a ride during my lunch through the Metroparks and wandered along a new path/direction toward the Toboggan Chutes. I came across this great scene of Canadian Geese nesting. My picture doesn't do the scene justice as there were at least 20 ducks nesting throughout the large grassy area. Great stress relief to take a midday ride!


Total week 3 miles: 15.5 miles

Total April cycling miles: 42.5 miles

30 Days of Biking - Week One

The first week of 30 Days of Biking ended on a good note. Between April 1-8 (Easter), I managed to get in 5 days of riding - interrupted only by working till dark one night and a meltdown by a nap-deprived 5-year-old on the other day. Not bad. And best of all, I've had so much fun becoming friends with my hybrid again. So here's my first week of this 30 Days of Biking challenge in pictures. As you can see, I co-opted the whole family into this challenge. One point to Robin!

Day 1 and it was chilly at 36 degrees. I had to bundle up with gloves and a down jacket for a quick ride down the street. Where did those summer temps go from last week?!

Day 2 didn't feel any warmer, but I managed to at least increase my mileage to a full mile. Watch out Schleck brothers, with training like this, I'm sure to win any race!

Day 3 included a trip to Starbucks with Megan for a piping hot green tea. She would never admit that she's enjoying this and voluntarily wanted to be a part of the challenge. 2 miles completed. I can feel the burn, wait...that's just me getting acclimated to the seat!

Skipped Day 4 due to work commitments, but managed to get the youngest daughter to join me on Day 5 for a nightime ride around the block.

Day 6 was the best riding day yet. I had the day off and managed to work in a 3 mile run AND a 6 mile bike ride. Very cold and windy on the ride, but just look at how blue the sky was - I just HAD to be out there!

Didn't get in a ride on Day 7, but Greg powered up the old Trek with the trailer attached and I joined on my Giant hybrid for Day 8 (Easter Sunday) and we tooled around the town, checking out houses and just enjoying the spring temps while knocking out 3 miles.

13 miles completed during week one. It's not too late to join in the challenge!

Make It Miami

Friday was a full day of Miami University activities. Karen, you'd be proud! Meg has finally committed to Miami, which just kills these two Ohio University graduates. But since Meg grew up on the OU campus, it's understandable why she'd want to try her hand at a different college.

Our first visit to Miami during her junior year was a bust. Meg wasn't AT ALL INTERESTED in attending Miami. She disliked the small town feel and she hated that they only had two coffee shops. Forget the fact that, where we live, we only have two coffee shops and it works just fine, thank you very much. After several other college visits, as well as an additional trip to see Miami again, she knew that Miami was for her. Friday only sealed the deal (and required Mom to make that whopping deposit).


I have to admit, Miami University did a great job of entertaining the parents and introducing us to the campus. The most fun of the day for my girls was eating in the dining halls. Meg was excited that they had healthy food (tilapia, brown rice and veggies) as well as unhealthy food (cupcakes, cookies, ice cream). Just look at how happy they looked!

All in all, it was a good day. I still can't believe this day is here, where my little girl is big enough to go away to college!

Travel and Races

As I told the Mr. yesterday, I have the "itch" to travel for a race. I don't know if it's the combination of not checking off any states for the past couple of months or the fact that I can't stand how high the airfares have become, but I have the itch to run elsewhere. So as a happy compromise, I registered for two Columbus races.

I know, that's not REALLY traveling. But with a 5-year-old, oh yes it is traveling! Anything over 30 minutes constitutes a trip!

And off we shall go next week for a race that starts and finishes at COSI. I'm excited because I get in a race (a short one), and I can take the girls somewhere fun. Best of all, it's ok to wear my running clothes because I will have just completed a race. And who doesn't love not having to shower and get cleaned up to go somewhere?! Bonus!

Oh, did I mention that when you sign up for the two races - a 5k and a 10k - you get a Brooks Running Jacket and a tech tee. Awesome! And, there's more. Jeni's Ice Cream is one of the sponsors so I'm pretty darn excited to try out their stuff, which I've heard so many good things about!

Can't wait!

Oktoberfest 5k Makes 34 States

No matter how detailed I am with travel plans, something always goes awry. Luckily, my girls and I have learned to deal with these little setbacks and make the best of it. We were supposed to fly out of Pittsburgh (which cost $118/rt vs. $300+ out of CLE). We would connect, oddly enough, in Cleveland, then fly off to Boston. We got to PIT only to find out that our plane was delayed already. I checked my iphone Continental app only to find out that the plane arrived in CLE on time, but wasn't leaving CLE for some reason. Having just come from that area, I knew it wasn't weather related. When the second delay came in, I went to the counter because I knew we could not catch our connector out of CLE to Boston. I also knew the delay was most likely due to mechanical, which the attendant confirmed. Fortunately, we were able to get a direct flight out of PIT and dinner vouchers (yay!). Unfortunately, the flight was 4 hours later (boo!). We made the best of it. We marched up to the President's Club for snacks and water, then darted into a couple shops at the airport. Bridget was able to go into a toy store for something special while Meg and I scored two great deals at GAP. Best of all, dinner was free due to our vouchers. Lemonade out of lemons is what I say!

Saturday was so much fun with my girls. We started off sleeping in, then going downstairs for a wonderful breakfast. We like staying at Embassy Suites due to larger room size, having an in-room fridge, the wonderful free breakfast and they generally do not charge for parking (all this for $134/night). We then headed out for our little adventure. First stop was Walden Pond. We walked the 1.7 mile path around the pond, stopping to see the site of Thoreau's house. It was so neat to see several people swimming across the pond. Meg and I told Bridget that when she got older, the three of us would swim across the pond together.

After Walden, we drove to Nathaniel Hawthorne's Old Manse and the Minute Men National Park. Meg had recently read The Scarlet Letter in English class, so it seemed appropriate to visit his home. We learned that Thoreau gave Hawthorne a garden as his wedding gift. Come on, it was the 1800s afterall.

At the Minute Men National Park it was humbling to see where history was made - the shot that was heard around the world. We saw the timeline of troops riding from Boston to Lexington-Concord. The bridge in the background of this picture was where the epic battle took place against British troops.

We were starving at this point. Thank goodness for Helen's. I had what was called an ABLT - avacado, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich...Mmmmm! We all had ice cream afterwards and felt much more fueled for the next stop. On to Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. The tour guide, I'm pretty sure, was from that era. She was long, slow, and deliberate in her responses. And there was no air conditioning in this house. After a big lunch of sandwiches and ice cream, coupled with fatigue, excess heat and a dry speaker, we were doomed. I think I retained half of what she said. As Meg put it: at least our donation went to preserving a valued part of history (so $9/person wasn't wasted, in other words).

Sunday was the other reason for our trip to Boston - to run the Cambridge Oktoberfest 5k and to check off the 34th state. We had eaten at the Cambridge Brewing Company the night before so I could pick up the race packet. While there, I had a most delicious Pumpkin Ale. Smooth and not overly sweet or too packed with a pumpkin taste - perfectly subtle. As luck would have it, that wonderful liquid was served as post-race refreshments. I met two guys at the start, and shared a beer with them at the finish. Such a small world - Paul was originally from Cincinnati. Juan told a great story about running in Curacos, where his family is from. That's what makes traveling so wonderful - learning interesting stories about other people and sharing it all through running.


I finished the race in 30:40 (9:53/mi) and 16/41 in my division. Let me just tell you that wearing a dirndl is a bit restrictive and, for $22 on Amazon, let's just say that one doesn't get wicking material! But I was in costume and enjoyed all that Oktoberfest in Cambridge had to offer! Prost!